Hemostatic radiotherapy: a narrative review of the literature.

Background And Objective: In locally advanced cancer, bleeding is a common clinical presentation and radiotherapy (RT) provides a noninvasive, well-tolerated, cost-effective treatment. However, the choice for fractionation dose and schedule seem to merely depend on physician's preference rather than specific guidelines. We reviewed the available literature on palliative hemostatic RT for response rate (RR) and bleeding duration in relation with the given dose.

Radical hysterectomy without adjuvant radiotherapy in patients with cervix carcinoma FIGO 2009 IB1, with or without positive Sedlis criteria.

Introduction: Lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI), deep (>1/3) stromal invasion (DSI) and large tumor size (>4 cm) have been identified as predictors for intermediate risk for recurrence according to Sedlis (at least two of the prior risk factors) in FIGO stage I cervical cancer. Adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) has been advocated in these patients(1,2), but remains controversial.

Method: All consecutive patients (1997-2017) with cervical cancer FIGO (2009) stage IB1 (≤4 cm) were included.

Retrospective Analysis of the Clinical Presentation, Treatment and Outcome of Angiosarcoma in a Sarcoma Referral Center.

Introduction: Angiosarcoma (AS) is a rare subtype of soft tissue sarcoma. We performed a retrospective analysis of patient characteristics, treatments and prognostic factors in patients treated in a single sarcoma center.

Methods: We reviewed records of patients treated between 1987 and 2018, categorized in 7 different subtypes according to tissue of origin and underlying risk factors.

Curative, Organ-Sparing, Multimodal, Perioperative Treatment of a Young Patient with a Rectoanal Inflammatory Myofibroblastic Tumor.

Introduction: We report the case of a young female patient with a technically resectable, nonmetastatic, rectoanal, anaplastic lymphoma kinase gene (ALK)-translocated inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMFT).

Case Presentation: The patient was successfully treated preoperatively with the tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) crizotinib, to downsize the primary tumor, followed by sphincter-sparing surgery, and adjuvant radiotherapy and crizotinib. She is now in follow-up with good sphincter function and with no evidence of active disease.

Assessment of stromal tumor infiltrating lymphocytes and immunohistochemical features in invasive micropapillary breast carcinoma with long-term outcomes.

Purpose: We studied the long-term outcomes of invasive micropapillary carcinoma (IMPCs) of the breast in relation to stromal tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (sTILs), prognostic biomarkers and clinicopathological features.

Methods: Stage I-III IMPCs treated with upfront surgery at our institution (January 2000 and December 2016) were included. Central pathology review was performed and sTILs (including zonal distribution and hot spot analysis) and tumor-associated plasma cells (TAPC) were evaluated.

Germline HOXB13 mutations p.G84E and p.R217C do not confer an increased breast cancer risk.

In breast cancer, high levels of homeobox protein Hox-B13 (HOXB13) have been associated with disease progression of ER-positive breast cancer patients and resistance to tamoxifen treatment. Since HOXB13 p.G84E is a prostate cancer risk allele, we evaluated the association between HOXB13 germline mutations and breast cancer risk in a previous study consisting of 3,270 familial non-BRCA1/2 breast cancer cases and 2,327 controls from the Netherlands.

Genome-wide association study identifies 32 novel breast cancer susceptibility loci from overall and subtype-specific analyses.

Breast cancer susceptibility variants frequently show heterogeneity in associations by tumor subtype. To identify novel loci, we performed a genome-wide association study including 133,384 breast cancer cases and 113,789 controls, plus 18,908 BRCA1 mutation carriers (9,414 with breast cancer) of European ancestry, using both standard and novel methodologies that account for underlying tumor heterogeneity by estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 status and tumor grade. We identified 32 novel susceptibility loci (P < 5.

Urine nitrification with a synthetic microbial community.

During long-term extra-terrestrial missions, food is limited and waste is generated. By recycling valuable nutrients from this waste via regenerative life support systems, food can be produced in space. Astronauts' urine can, for instance, be nitrified by micro-organisms into a liquid nitrate fertilizer for plant growth in space.

Pooled Analysis of external-beam RADiotherapy parameters in phase II and phase III trials in radiochemotherapy in Anal Cancer (PARADAC).

Purpose: Concomitant external-beam radiochemotherapy (5-fluorouracil-mitomycin C) has become the standard of care in anal cancer since the '90s. A pooled analysis of individual patient data from 7 major trials was performed quantifying the effect of radiation therapy (RT)-related parameters on the outcome of patients with anal cancer.

Materials And Methods: Pooling databases from combined modality trials, the impact of RT parameters (total dose, gap duration, OTT: overall treatment time) on outcome including locoregional failure (LRF), 5-year progression free survival (PFS) and toxicities were investigated.

Reactivation of Microbial Strains and Synthetic Communities After a Spaceflight to the International Space Station: Corroborating the Feasibility of Essential Conversions in the MELiSSA Loop.

To sustain human deep space exploration or extra-terrestrial settlements where no resupply from the Earth or other planets is possible, technologies for food production, water, air, and waste recovery need to be developed. The Micro-Ecological Life Support System Alternative (MELiSSA) is such a Regenerative Life Support System (RLSS) and it builds on several bacterial bioprocesses. However, alterations in gravity, temperature, and radiation associated with the space environment can affect survival and functionality of the microorganisms.

A comparison of a brachytherapy and an external beam radiotherapy boost in breast-conserving therapy for breast cancer: local and any recurrences.

Purpose: Adding a tumour bed boost to whole-breast irradiation in breast-conserving therapy reduces local recurrence rates. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether the boost technique influences the magnitude of the effect.

Methods: Patients treated with breast-conserving therapy for invasive breast cancer between 2000 and 2007 were included in the analysis.

Membrane stripping enables effective electrochemical ammonia recovery from urine while retaining microorganisms and micropollutants.

Ammonia recovery from urine avoids the need for nitrogen removal through nitrification/denitrification and re-synthesis of ammonia (NH) via the Haber-Bosch process. Previously, we coupled an alkalifying electrochemical cell to a stripping column, and achieved competitive nitrogen removal and energy efficiencies using only electricity as input, compared to other technologies such as conventional column stripping with air. Direct liquid-liquid extraction with a hydrophobic gas membrane could be an alternative to increase nitrogen recovery from urine into the absorbent while minimizing energy requirements, as well as ensuring microbial and micropollutant retention.

Stromal characteristics are adequate prognosticators for recurrence risk in ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast.

Background: Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast constitutes a heterogeneous group of non-obligate precursors for invasive breast cancer. To date, adequate risk stratification is lacking, which is presumed to result in overtreatment. We previously identified myxoid stromal architecture as a potential prognosticator for loco-regional recurrence.

Extensive growth is followed by neurodegenerative pathology in the continuously expanding adult zebrafish retina.

The development of effective treatments for age-related neurodegenerative diseases remains one of the biggest medical challenges today, underscoring the high need for suitable animal model systems to improve our understanding of aging and age-associated neuropathology. Zebrafish have become an indispensable complementary model organism in gerontology research, yet their growth-control properties significantly differ from those in mammals. Here, we took advantage of the clearly defined and highly conserved structure of the fish retina to study the relationship between the processes of growth and aging in the adult zebrafish central nervous system (CNS).

Anaerobic ureolysis of source-separated urine for NH recovery enables direct removal of divalent ions at the toilet.

Source-separated urine is of interest for nutrient recovery. Most nitrogen recovery technologies rely on ammonia (NH) as input, which requires ureolysis. As urease positive bacteria are widespread, source-separated urine is unstable, not only leading to NH release but also loss, odor nuisance, and downstream scaling.

Manual lymph drainage may not have a preventive effect on the development of breast cancer-related lymphoedema in the long term: a randomised trial.

Question: What are the short-term and long-term preventive effects of manual lymph drainage (MLD), when used in addition to information and exercise therapy, on the development of lymphoedema after axillary dissection for breast cancer?

Design: Randomised controlled trial with concealed allocation, blinded assessors and intention-to-treat analysis.

Participants: Adults undergoing unilateral dissection for breast cancer were recruited, with 79 allocated to the experimental group and 81 to the control group.

Intervention: The experimental group received guidelines about prevention of lymphoedema, exercise therapy and MLD.

Comparison of brachytherapy and external beam radiotherapy boost in breast-conserving therapy: Patient-reported outcome measures and aesthetic outcome.

Objective: This study aimed to estimate the probability of an unfavourable aesthetic outcome (AO) 2 years after breast-conserving therapy (BCT) and evaluate the possible influence of brachytherapy (BT) and external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) boost on patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and AO.

Patients And Methods: Patients treated with BCT starting April 2015 were prospectively included. Selection of the boost technique followed an in-house flowchart based on the depth of the tumour bed.

Stereoselective and Modular Assembly Method for Heterocycle-Fused Daucane Sesquiterpenoids.

A stereoselective synthetic method is reported for the molecular framework found in common daucane and isodaucane sesquiterpenoid natural products. The synthetic method constitutes a scalable, modular, and also asymmetric access to a complex natural product scaffold, wherein the substitution pattern and the stereochemistry can be adjusted simply by choosing different starting materials. The method allows the rapid introduction of diverse heterocyclic substructures such as (benzo)furans, (benzo)thiophenes, dithiins, thiazoles, and indoles, which actually also facilitate and direct the key intramolecular annulation step.

SIOPE - Brain tumor group consensus guideline on craniospinal target volume delineation for high-precision radiotherapy.

Objective: To develop a consensus guideline for craniospinal target volume (TV) delineation in children and young adults participating in SIOPE studies in the era of high-precision radiotherapy.

Methods And Materials: During four consensus meetings (Cambridge, Essen, Liverpool, and Marseille), conventional field-based TV has been translated into image-guided high-precision craniospinal TV by a group of expert paediatric radiation oncologists and enhanced by MRI images of liquor distribution.

Results: The CTV should include the whole brain, cribriform plate, most inferior part of the temporal lobes, and the pituitary fossa.

An evaluation tool for Myofascial Adhesions in Patients after Breast Cancer (MAP-BC evaluation tool): Concurrent, face and content validity.

Purpose: To investigate the concurrent, face and content validity of an evaluation tool for Myofascial Adhesions in Patients after Breast Cancer (MAP-BC evaluation tool).

Methods: 1) Concurrent validity of the MAP-BC evaluation tool was investigated by exploring correlations (Spearman's rank Correlation Coefficient) between the subjective scores (0 -no adhesions to 3 -very strong adhesions) of the skin level using the MAP-BC evaluation tool and objective elasticity parameters (maximal skin extension and gross elasticity) generated by the Cutometer Dual MPA 580. Nine different examination points on and around the mastectomy scar were evaluated.

Electrochemical Ammonia Recovery from Source-Separated Urine for Microbial Protein Production.

Conventional plant and meat protein production have low nitrogen usage efficiencies and high energy needs. Microbial protein (MP) is an alternative that offers higher nitrogen conversion efficiencies with low energy needs if nitrogen is recovered from a concentrated waste source such as source-separated urine. An electrochemical cell (EC) was optimized for ammonia recovery as NH/H gas mixtures usable for MP production.

Effect of myofascial techniques for treatment of persistent arm pain after breast cancer treatment: randomized controlled trial.

Objective: To investigate the effect of myofascial therapy in addition to a standard physical therapy program for treatment of persistent arm pain after finishing breast cancer treatment.

Design: Double-blinded (patient and assessor) randomized controlled trial.

Setting: University Hospitals Leuven, Belgium.